


The Victor's Spoils

by spookyghostcurves



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Eventual Smut, Gladiators, M/M, Memory Loss, Slow Burn, Timelines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-07-26 15:55:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7580611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyghostcurves/pseuds/spookyghostcurves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Is that… is that the last thing you remember? When you attacked me at the arena?” The look on his face implied he already knew the answer and didn’t want to hear it. </p><p>“Well… yeah.”</p><p>With those two syllables, all the joy left Matt’s face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Pidge was being quiet, which was making Shiro very nervous.

He’d expected the same sort of giddy, non-stop talk that she’d given him when they went to retrieve the green lion. After almost two years of searching, her brother was right in front of her. A healing pod and Matt’s state of sleep still separated them, of course, but he was bound to come out any minute.  Dazed and full of questions no doubt, but he was alive. He was safe.

So why did Pidge have that concentrated look in her eyes? Why was she beyond apprehension, why did she look… scared?

A hand, heavy and warm and human, went to rest on her shoulder, snapping her out of her little trance. “What’s the first thing you’re going to say to him?” Shiro asked with a warm smile, watching Pidge’s reflection in the pod’s sleek surface.

A weary, crooked grin came to her lips at that and she shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted, reaching up to pinch and massage at the bridge of her nose. “We have lots of explaining to do… I tried to fill him in as best I could while we were escaping the Galra ship. But a bulleted list between rounds of guards to fight can only do so much.”

“There’s time for all that,” he assured. That was a positive way of looking at it – the battle to liberate the ship Matt had been long and taken quite a toll on the castle. They had to lay low for a few days to patch it back up. “So what’s bothering you?”

 

Anyone else would have been shot down immediately with such a weak attempt to pick Pidge’s brain, perhaps with a biting comment on the side. But Shiro listened to her talk about her brother enough times to earn her counsel.

 

She was quiet for a painfully long minute before reaching out to press a hand to the pod. “I’m just afraid he’ll be broken,” she admitted. “He was happy to see me when got him out of his cell, of course. He recognized me, he gave me a hug. But when I was flying him back to the castle it was like he wasn’t all there. He was staring off, I’d have to call his name over and over to get him to respond.”

 

“Sounds like shock to me,” Shiro offered, looking up at Matt’s sleeping face. “He must have gone months without seeing the stars. I’m sure he never expected to be saved, let alone by his little sister who was still on Earth as far as he knew.” Pidge’s lips pressed into that firm line indicating she was trying to keep cool, so he changed gears quickly.

 

“I’m sure he was relieved, and excited, and nervous about what was to come all at once. He’ll be more receptive once he wakes up. And if he isn’t-“ She looked up at him there, worried about what he’d say. “He’ll have the two of us here to help him through it.”

Finally a genuine smile came to her lips, at least a bit of the stress alleviated. “Thanks, Shiro,” she said, leaning against him and permitting a one-sided embrace. “He’ll be happy to see you too, I bet.”

They were innocent words to say the least, but they stirred the slightest unrest in Shiro’s gut. He wasn’t so sure about that. The last time he’d seen Matt, he was being dragged away by two guards, hopefully to get medical attention for the wound Shiro had given him. It saved him from a horrible death at the hands of a robeast, but ever since the memory returned to him Shiro was trying to figure out if Matt knew that was the case. They had no closure, no chance for Shiro to explain himself. What if Matt hadn’t heard him before the guards took him away? What if he thought Shiro was an animal?

There was no time to fear for that any more. The healing pod gave a cheery little ding and ever so slowly it eased open, the closure melting away with Altean shimmer.

Pidge straightened up in an instant, and Shiro could tell she was holding her breath. “Breathe,” he reminded her softly. The breath escaped her with the last remnants of the pod, and just like that Matt was stirring before them. 

 

Matt’s brows knit for a moment before his eyes started to ease open. Panic registered on his face at first, unsure where he was or if his rescue had been real or a dream - the sight triggered something in Shiro’s mind. It was a snippet, seconds at most. He was in a Galra cell - could it even be called that? It wasn’t anything like the cramped quarters from his other memories, where he and the Holts were packed in with other species. There was still a sense of captivity to be felt in it, especially with two guards standing in the doorway. A frightened looking Matt was shoved inside towards him, wearing the same confused and frightened face he had on in the present. He could almost feel the sensation of Matt falling into his arms, but a few blinks and a shake of his head pulled him back to reality.

 

It was Pidge who caught him this time. Her arms were around Matt in an instant, anchoring him down to Earth and soothing his fears with the familiar embrace. “Katie,” he croaked, his voice hoarse after being asleep so long. Weary arms closed around her, and Shiro stepped forward to help steady them both. It seemed Pidge didn’t need it though - she easily supported her brother’s weight as he clung to her.    
  
“Matt it’s me, I’m here! I found you,” she babbled, trying to keep her tears from affecting her voice even as they rolled down her cheeks. “I missed you so much! I didn’t stop looking for you, not once-”    
  
“You’re here,” Matt managed, tears streaming down his own face as his voice cracked. Shiro went to fetch him a water pouch, giving the siblings a few moments for a private reunion. He replayed the snippet in his mind as he walked through the castle’s halls. It felt like a memory. One of the ones he’d lost, suddenly at his mind’s fingertips and ready to be called upon. It didn’t make sense though. Where was that room? Why was Matt there with him?    
  
Water in hand, Shiro returned to the circle of healing pods to find the siblings still wrapped up in each other’s arms. Pidge started to ease away once he came inside but kept close enough to keep an arm around Matt. “See? Shiro’s here too,” Pidge said, as if they’d just been discussing the very topic. Shiro wore a kind smile as he looked to Matt, but wasn’t really prepared for the look he got in return. 

 

Matt Holt was looking at him like he was sent from above, like he put the stars in the sky and made the sun rise each morning on his own. 

 

As if that weren’t enough, he was even less prepared for the way Matt launched into him the second he was within firing range, wrapping thin arms around his torso and holding him tight. “Shiro, I’m so relieved,” he croaked, palms sliding up the other’s spine in a way that made him shiver. Shiro felt his cheeks flush, pink and warm as he glanced from the top of Matt’s head to a goofily grinning Pidge.    
  
He hurriedly returned the embrace, hooking his chin over Matt’s head in a way that felt oddly familiar. “I am too. We were so worried about you. It’s good to have you back,” he said with a nod, noticing that the hug was lingering a bit longer than he’d expect. Not that he minded, it was just odd. During Shiro’s first few days back with human company, extended contact left his skin crawling and made him uncomfortable. With Matt that clearly wasn’t the case. 

 

When the elder Holt finally eased back a ways, Shiro thought he saw him hesitate for a moment while their faces were still close together,. He chalked that up to the healing pod affecting his equilibrium. He held the water out to Matt insistently, the straw already punched in for him. “You should drink this, it sounds like your throat’s dry.” A wistful look came to Matt’s eye and he nodded thankfully, taking the pouch and sipping at it.    
  
“Thanks,” he said, his voice still small but not nearly as pained.    
  
It was still too early, and Shiro knew that, but Shiro’s anxieties about their last encounter came to the forefront of his mind as he watched Matt gulp down the water and he just couldn’t help himself. “Listen, Matt, I know we didn’t part in the best of ways but--”   
  
“Don’t,” Matt insisted, pausing his sips to shake his head. “It had to be one of us. And it’s in the past now, and we’re both here, and we’re safe. I’m grateful, honest.”   
  
Shiro could feel the tension leaving his shoulders as he exhaled.    
  
“Thank god… I was so sure you’d hate me after all this time. I couldn’t tell how bad the cut was, did they take you to get help?”   
  
Confusion knit Matt’s brow.    
  
“What?”   
  
“Your leg. I was just trying to have them put me in the arena first, I had no idea they’d drag you off like that.”

 

Matt’s lips pressed firmly together, a look Shiro seen on Pidge enough times to know what it meant. 

 

“I was fine,” he said at last. He paused for a moment, clearly contemplating whether or not he wanted to speak again.“Is that… is that the last thing you remember? When you attacked me at the arena?” The look on his face implied he already knew the answer and didn’t want to hear it. 

 

“Well… yeah.”

 

With two syllables, all the joy left Matt’s face. Shiro spoke on, explained that his memories of his time imprisoned were all just bits and pieces that came and went. But it seemed like Matt wasn’t hearing him. Matt certainly wasn’t looking at him. “Why? Was there more?” Shiro asked as the thought occurred to him.

 

Matt gave no real answer. 

 

“I, um…” He reached back then, and as he’d hoped, his little sister went to take his arm. He leaned onto her for support. “I’m really light headed. Is there somewhere I could lay down?”   
  
“Yeah, of course! We have a room for you, it’s right next to mine.” Pidge looked just as perplexed as Shiro felt. But there was plenty of time for them to talk, and Matt needed his rest.   
  
“Do you need any help?” Shiro asked as he watched the pair start off into the hallway.   
  
“I think we’ll manage,” Pidge said, looking back over her shoulder. “Thanks though, Shiro.”

 

And just like that they were gone. 

 

Matt hadn’t said another word to him, hadn’t looked at Shiro once after he confirmed that the arena was the last time he’d seen Matt, as far as he could remember. With a heavy heart, Shiro disengaged the healing pod, watching as it sank into the floor and disappeared. 

______________________________

This was it. The Galra were finally going to kill him. 

 

Matt didn’t bother begging as two armed guards led him through the eerily lit halls, knowing that there was no conscious, no pathos in them to appeal to. He’d seen prisoners get taken from his holding cell before. His father was among those he’d seen. None of them ever came back. 

Some of the other prisoners assured Matt that his father had been taken to a work colony, that most of the older inmates were. But who knew if that was the truth or if they were trying to provide what little comfort they could in that dark, horrible place.   
  
Most of the prison’s hallways looked the same but Matt was fairly certain he’d never been to his one before. They’d been walking for quite a while, turning corners and opening padlocked doors so many times that Matt was sure he couldn’t make it back to his cell if he tried. It was eerily quiet here. There was no hum of machinery or rumble of engines beyond the walls, not even the occasional sound of whispers exchanged between inmates. The doors looked the same as the ones in Matt’s cell block - large and solid, with a slot at the bottom for trays of food to be pushed through and what he assumed were numbers at the top. 

 

They stopped in front of a door at the very end of the hallway, one of the guards pressing their hand to it. Matt took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for whatever was waiting for him behind that door. After what felt like an eternity, it slid open and much to Matt’s surprise, there was no horror to be found. 

 

There was just Shiro. 

 

Standing wide-eyed and expectant just inside, Shiro was alive and well. It felt like weeks since Matt saw him last. There had been stories going around about him when Matt returned from medical after that fateful day in the arena - whispers about how there was a human who managed to defeat Myzax, a champion who saved countless lives by putting the fiend out of commission. The hope he felt knowing that Shiro was alive helped to balance out his despair that they were split apart. But the stories were few and far between, and when Matt stopped hearing them he didn’t dare think about what that implied. 

 

“Sh-shiro?” he managed, the only word he was allowed before the guards gave him a rough push that sent him stumbling forward. Shiro stepped up to meet him, catching him in a protective hold and looking at the guards with an icy glare. They shut the door without a word, and the humans were left alone to their reunion. 

 

“Matt,” Shiro breathed, relief evident in his voice. He gave the other a quick squeeze before holding his shoulders at arm's’ length and looking him over. “I am so sorry I attacked you. I was just trying to help, I figured I’d get put into the ring first, I wasn’t even thinking about what they’d do--” He was silenced by Matt shaking his head, looking up to him with the slightest amusement in his eyes. “Shiro, you saved me that day. You know that, right?”   
  
The worried look on his face made it clear that Shiro wasn’t convinced.    
  
“Thank you. Really,” Matt insisted, reaching up to give his wrists a gentle, assuring squeeze. “The gash wasn’t deep. They put some kind of weird cream on it and it healed right up.” Matt was smiling for the first time in weeks. The sight helped lessen Shiro’s worries. 

 

Peeking past Shiro, Matt took a look around the room. Six months ago he would have called this a miserable little cell. But after so long living in the true misery of four solid walls with at least ten people packed inside, this place looked like a suite. There was a bed tucked into the corner with a thin mattress and blanket, even a pillow. And there just behind Shiro--

 

“Is that a window?!” Matt gasped, hurrying over to the small porthole and leaning up a bit to see out of it. It overlooked the side of the ship, sharp and imposing against a limitless star-studded sky. 

 

A warm chuckle sounded at that, followed by the creak of Shiro sitting down at the mattress’ edge. “That’s what I went for first, too,” he admitted. 

 

Lowering his heels back to the floor, Matt turned to pace around the small quarters. “How did you end up in here? Is this room yours?”   
  
“It is now,” Shiro mumbled, leaning back on his palms. “It’s a Victor’s cell. Or that’s what they called it, at least. Once you win three matches you’re allowed to live in one.”

 

“Three?” Matt repeated, incredulous. “You’ve been through three fights already?”

 

Shiro pursed his lips, looking away when he couldn’t hold Matt’s gaze anymore. “Ten, actually.”

 

“Ten!”

 

“Three for the room. Two for extra food to get my strength back. And, um…” He rubbed at the back of his neck, as if that would do anything to soothe his nerves. “Five for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first Voltron multi-chap fic! yay! Thanks to @daddyroboarm on tumblr for being my beta! Hit me up at voltronpoint.tumblr.com!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Shiro helps Matt get adjusted to life in the castle, he has another strange vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the wait for this update! I'm not ditching the fic or anything. I was in a nasty car accident. But I'm on the road to recovering! And typing has been really therapeutic! Thanks to @daddyroboarm and @headrnaster for being my betas!
> 
> Enjoy!

When Shiro went to fetch Matt the next morning, he found both Holt siblings curled up in a tight embrace, their blankets halfway across the room. The sight made him snicker, thinking back to the handful of times he’d gone to wake Pidge up; every time her blanket was discarded in a similar way. The sound of it made Matt’s eyes open immediately, craning his head up to look at Shiro before offering sleepy smile. Clearly he’d been awake for a while.  
  
“I didn’t want to wake her,” he explained, nodding down to a soundly sleeping Pidge who was drooling against his chest. He ran a hand through her hair, the bed mussed locks smoothing beneath his hand.

“I don’t blame you. I’ve never seen her this out before,” Shiro said, meandering a bit closer. He felt strange about being there. It felt like an intimate moment that he didn’t belong in, but he so, so wanted to. The protectiveness he felt towards Pidge was only amplified when he saw her like this, wrapped up safe and warm in Matt’s arms. Shiro’s term as interim big brother was over.

 

“She can’t sleep very well if she’s too stressed. Even when she was a little kid she’d get like that before doctor’s appointments and trips to visit crazy Aunt Cheryl,” Matt chuckled. There was no amusement on Shiro’s face at the news, however, which cut Matt short. It went unsaid that she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep since Matt and Dr. Holt first disappeared. “It’s something she’ll outgrow, I’m sure,” Matt assured him, letting a small smile return to Shiro’s face.

 

“Thank you so much, for being there for Katie when she needed someone. She likes to keep to herself, but… everyone needs an outlet.”

 

“It was my pleasure, trust me. She helped keep me sane through the aftermath of being a Galra prisoner,” Shiro’s gaze softened. “Something you’re handling a lot better than I did.”

 

“It was a lot harder on you than me,” Matt said hurriedly, “A thousand times harder. I’m so happy that you're here and you're safe.”

 

Shiro refrained from pointing out that “safe” was a loose term for his status of being a Voltron paladin. There was something else he wanted to ask.

 

“I was wondering if you could help me out a bit… there’s a lot about my time in captivity that I don’t remember.”

 

“That’s for the best, probably.”

 

Matt’s answer was short and cold, and apparently the resulting chill was enough to wake Pidge.

 

Pidge was never one to be dazed and sleepy-eyed when she woke up. She more or less had an on/off switch and snapped to full attention when it was flipped. Pidge sat straight up to look at her brother, to make sure that this time his rescue was more than a part of her dreams. “Good space-morning!” she snickered, tightening her loose hold into a hug. Matt smiled and returned the embrace, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

 

Shiro cleared his throat after a moment, which earned him a sassier response than expected. “What the heck, Shiro? You like watching us sleep?” Pidge demanded, marching over to him in her pajama shorts and t-shirt. “In his defense,” Matt began, hoping to pacify her, “I was awake. We were talking.” For some reason, the latter part of that statement marked a change in Pidge. Her feathers were thoroughly unruffled, and suddenly Shiro being there was all too natural.

 

“Well what are we waiting around for? We overslept--”

 

“At ease, Pidge,” Shiro chuckled. “We’re on our own schedules for a few days, remember?”

 

“Oh right, good. Green really took a beating in that last fight…” Guilty eyes went to her brother, who was cleaning up the lenses of his glasses. “How about you go get started on Green,” Shiro started, giving Pidge a knowing look. “I’ll show Matt how the Altean showers work, and get him something to eat. Then we’ll come meet you in the hangar and see how you’re doing.” Leaving her brother’s side for an instant seemed awful, but Pidge could sense the way Green was calling to her - asking for help. Besides, the castle’s showers were tricky as hell and she didn’t want to be the one fumbling around inside one with Matt.

 

“Alright,” she agreed, going to Matt for one more hug. “See you soon, Katie,” he promised, earning a glowing grin. She padded off to get dressed (hopefully), giving Shiro a wave as she passed him.

 

“The showers, huh?” Matt snickered a bit as he stood and stretched. He grabbed the discarded blankets and started to remake his bed. “They’re hard enough to figure out in someone else’s house, I guess doing it in an alien ship is a real test.” He was being teasing and light, a welcome change from the disappointment he exhibited the day before. Shiro was glad to see him like this - he was one step closer to the Matt he remembered from before they met the Galra. “That’s an understatement,” Shiro chuckled.

 

Once the bed was made, Shiro led Matt to the bathroom attached to the bedroom. Each Paladin had one - oddly enough, they were similar to Earth bathrooms at first glance. There was a large mirror with a sink beneath it, and a separate chamber on either side for the toilet and the shower. “Soaps and towels are under here,” Shiro knelt to a cabinet under the sink to grab a towel, soap, and shampoo. When he turned back to Matt, he was surprised to find him already half naked and stepping into the shower. “Thanks Shiro,” he said nonchalantly, tossing the last of his clothes aside and plucking the bottles from a very red faced Shiro’s arms. He shut the shower door and navigated the controls with ease. “Say, could you go ask if ‘Coran’ managed to find me some clothes? Katie said she asked him about it,” his voice echoed off the shower walls as Shiro shook himself from his surprise - both at the sudden nudity and how easily Matt worked the shower. “‘Course, I’ll be right back,” he answered, leaving the towel on the counter and setting off to find the advisor.

 

Sure enough, Coran managed to find some Altean clothes tucked away for Matt to wear; fitted pants and a tunic. There were a few pairs of boots for him to try as well, Coran hadn’t been sure which of them would fit. Shiro made his way back to Matt’s room, and heard the shower cut off as soon as he stepped in. He was right on time.

 

“Got your clothes,” he said with a knock on the bathroom door. A moment later Matt poked his head out, his hair still dripping wet as he took the garments. Shiro saw him open his mouth to speak, but what he said was lost as yet another scene was triggered in Shiro’s mind.

 

If it was even possible, this scene seemed shorter than the last. He himself was soaking wet, and so was Matt who stood close in front of him. They were in a huge bathroom, rows upon rows of shower stalls all around. Matt offered up a sheepish smile and wrapped a towel around his shoulders- and then it cut off.

 

“Shiro?” The real Matt watched him with knit brows. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yes!” he insisted, perhaps too quickly, “Sorry, about that.”

 

Matt eyed him suspiciously.

 

“If you say so. Just give me a couple of minutes to get dressed. Does the offer to find me food still stand?”

 

The paladin chuckled softly. “Of course.”

 

“Great! I’ll be right out.”

 

The bathroom door eased shut again and Shiro leaned back against the wall, a sigh leaving his lips.

 

______________________________

 

Matt paced about in the room he shared with Shiro, anxiously picking at the ends of his loose purple shirt. The thing was badly tattered when he got it, the frayed hemline making it an easy target for Matt to work out his worries, He hated waiting for Shiro to return from the arena. There was no sense of time in the tiny cell, no way to know if he was taking longer than usual to return.

 

After an eternity, the cell door slid open and Shiro stepped in. “Oh thank god,” Matt breathed, going to wrap his arms around the other in a warm embrace, one Shiro gladly returned. “I got us some more food,” he said with a tired smile, holding up a small bag. “I’m just glad to see you back,” Matt assured him, “But some more non-goo food is always welcome.”

 

The pair settled in to eat. It was a humble fare of fresh and dried fruits. Nothing you’d find on Earth of course, but they were used to the odd tastes and textures. Shiro was really worn down after his last fight, so Matt tucked the leftovers away while he crawled into bed. He often told Matt how much easier he slept with someone else close, so Matt laid down with him despite his own restlessness.

 

Shiro made a good big spoon. His arms slid around Matt’s waist and pulled him close. The feel of Shiro’s firm chest behind him was a comfort. Matt dared to dream about Shiro holding him this way in a safer context; he wondered what they might have been like if he’d managed to tell Shiro his feelings before they left Earth. His thoughts were interrupted by Shiro’s nose against his head.

 

“Eugh, don’t put your nose too close to my hair,” he warned, wiggling away to face Shiro on the small cot, “I stink!”  


“You do not,” the gladiator chuckled, trying to catch Matt in his arms again.

 

“I do!” he said with a meek laugh, sliding back into Shiro’s hold. “I’d do anything for a shower.”

 

There was a long silence before Shiro mumbled a tentative, “Anything, huh?”

 

***

 

The next morning, Shiro was knocking on his cell door before the guards came to get him. Soon the door opened and a pair of guards stood waiting, no questions asked as Shiro stepped out of the room with Matt in tow. The hallways were just as purple and menacing as Matt remembered. And yet, walking alongside Shiro, he didn’t feel quite as scared.

 

After several padlocked doors, the numbered cells stopped and they were in a bare hallway.The distant sounds of a crowd could be heard. With one last turn they came to a large open archway, their guards stepping aside to let them pass unattended.

 

The room they stepped into was large, but felt tight with the number of people inside - and the sheer size of most of them. The place reminded Matt of a dive bar, complete with a long counter for service, with one or two aliens sitting with drinks in their hand. One wall was windows top to bottom, overlooking the now-empty arena. As Shiro explained it the night before, it was a Victor’s Lounge of sorts. Popular gladiators came here to collect their winnings. Shiro used his to get his room, Matt, and food. But wins could also be used for drugs or alcohol. And, why they were there, access to luxury baths and showers.

 

Shiro stepped up to the counter, Matt keeping close behind him. One of the seated aliens - a lizard like creature with a long neck and green scales - glanced over at the pair and smirked. “I wouldn’t have thought the Champion’s type to be scrawny little beings like that one,” he teased, earning a glare from Shiro. “To each his own, I suppose… but when you get tired of that one, we’re always up for trades.” Matt paled as the lizard and a few of the others chuckled. He jumped when an arm slid around his waist but of course it was Shiro, a dark look in his eye.

 

A robotic attendant came to Shiro, informing him that he had four credits left and asking if he’d like to spend them. “Yes,” he said, tightening his protective hold on Matt, “I’d like a pass to the baths.” The attendant nodded. “This way, then.” He started off towards the back corner of the room and Shiro followed, tugging Matt along with him. He peeked back at the aliens one last time, and caught eye contact with the lizard. The scaly creature smirked and flicked his reptilian tongue, making Matt shiver and face forward again.

 

The attendant led then to a large set of doors, with a Galra hand pad as per usual. He opened them up, and steam clouded Matt’s glasses as Shiro led him in. After a quick wipe with his shirt, Matt could see that this room was full of hot tubs of varying sizes. Quite a few patrons were there, all fierce looking warriors. One in particular stole Matt’s attention.

 

He was a hulking creature who looked like something out of World of Warcraft. By all accounts he was ugly. Yet, two beautiful humanoid aliens draped themselves on him, bathing him it seemed. He helped himself to groping at them, hoisting one up for a slobber-laden kiss that made Matt gag. “S-Shiro do we have to bathe in here?” he asked worriedly. “No,” Shiro said, also traumatized by the PDA, “There’s showers too.”

 

They passed all the baths and went to the rows of showers. Most were unoccupied. The one exception was a stall where two bodies could be seen through the fogged glass - one of which was bent over while the other rutted against it. The water drowned out any other sounds. Matt’s eyes were wide with horror, understanding dawning on him. He looked up at Shiro, who was pointedly staring straight ahead. His face and the tips of his ears were bright red.

 

When they finally got to a secluded spot, Shiro turned back to look at Matt. After a soft sigh, he spoke. “You look like you want to say something,” he muttered. Matt looked back to make sure no one could hear before his eyes went back to Shiro’s. “Did they think-- Am… Am I a space prostitute?” he asked at last. As serious as the situation was, Shiro couldn’t help but laugh. It  was an honest laugh, one that broke the tension and eased Matt’s fears however slightly. “No, you are not a _space prostitute_ , Matt. But the truth is, most gladiators use five wins to get, well… a person they feed and keep in their nicer room in exchange for sex.” He let the last few words tumble out quickly. He was embarrassed to say them.

 

Matt turned bright red. “B-but don’t worry,” Shiro assured him, putting his hands on each of Matt’s shoulders, “I’d never expect anything like that from you, I’m just happy to have you close and know you’re safe--”

 

“Shiro,” Matt chuckled, deflating internally as he shook his head, “I know you wouldn’t. Trust me, I’m glad to have you close too.” He smiled warmly, something Shiro gladly reciprocated.

 

“Ok, so, this might not be the best time to have brought it up but the showers are really hard to operate and honestly someone else could come snatch you up so er… I think it would be best if we shared a stall.” Shiro was rubbing at the back of his neck as he spoke.

 

Matt blinked up at him for just a moment. He didn’t want to seem _too_ eager but he’d seen this scenario in more than one late-night fantasy at the Garrison. “Sure,” he piped, peeling his shirt off and starting to work the bodysuit down off his arms as he climbed in the stall. Shiro watched blankly for a moment before hurriedly averting his eyes. _Cute_ , Matt thought as he wrestled his suit off, keeping an eye on Shiro as he stripped down outside. His back muscles were incredible, despite the scars that littered them. They reminded Matt of the sacrifices Shiro made to keep him safe. He looked away, tossing his clothes outside to stay dry.

 

Shiro stepped in a moment later and Matt couldn’t stop the soft gasp that left him. There were scars, yes, but Shiro was just so _perfect_ . Every inch of him was firm muscle - his hips even did the “V” thing. But he seemed self-conscious, embarrassed even. “Shiro, what’s wrong?” Matt said softly. Shiro looked down at him, cheeks pink. “I don’t know how you _aren’t_ embarrassed, naked and in close quarters with someone else,” Shiro mumbled. A playful little smirk came to Matt’s face. “Well, you get used to it after the first few times,” he said non-chalantly, as if naked closet hangouts were old news. Shiro chuckled and gave him a shove before tapping a few buttons to start the shower, instructing Matt as he did so.

 

The warm water was more than welcome on Matt’s skin. The shower dispensed soap into their hands, and Matt watched thankfully as months’ worth of dirt and grime left his skin and swirled down the drain. The same went for his hair - what had become greasy, stringy strands were sure to be soft and manageable once dry. He brushed against Shiro now and then, but neither of them said a word about it. And that was good.

 

When they finally shut the water off, Matt shook his head to dry his hair a bit. “What about towels?” he asked. Shiro stepped out, showing that a small table appeared bearing not only purple, fluffy towels - but also their clothes, cleaned and neatly folded. “Geez, they’re really attentive considering they’re serving prisoners,” Matt mumbled, taking the towel Shiro offered and bending over to dry his hair some more. “They just really want to motivate us to fight, I suppose.” Mat straightened up just as Shiro turned to face him, and they shared an oddly intimate moment. Shiro was giving Matt a look he’d never seen before, one that made him feel… important. He offered a sheepish smile in return, putting the towel around his shoulders.

  
The pair got dressed, Matt ready to sing with joy at the fresh smell of his suit. They made their way back through the baths and out into the main lounge. The lizard was still out there, this time with one scaly arm draped around a miserable looking girl. He gave Matt a look as he passed. Feeling particularly coquettish, Matt latched onto one of Shiro’s arms. Shiro kept his eyes forward despite the little grin forming on his lips. The lizard sneered, yet kept a jealous eye on the Earthlings as the smaller one strutted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up folks, because ch.3 is where that M rating comes out to play. In the mean time, hit me up on tumblr @voltronpoint !


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